HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” program will air a segment this week on the Sama Bajau, a nomadic group of people who live in the waters of Southeast Asia.
In the episode, series correspondent Jon Frankel meets two Sama Bajau, otherwise known as “Sea Gypsies,” as they show him their freediving skills.
Scientists have now documented the Sama Bajau with having a genetic predisposition in their spleens that allows them to dive as deep as 200 feet/61 meters for up to 13 minutes.
To learn more about the Sama Bajau, check out this National Geographic article.
The HBO segment, titled “The Art of Freediving,” airs July 24 at 10:00pm in the USA. Check out a teaser below.
